Burdens
by amyb9090
Summary: Chris goes home when his brother Cade gets sick. He doesn't tell anyone where he went and has to answer to Pride when he gets home. I made up names for Chris' sister (Michelle (Shelly) and his mom (Kay) but the rest of the characters aren't mine. I've always viewed the relationship between Pride and LaSalle as a father/son relationship but also left room for mutual respect.
Chris shoved his phone in his pocket. It was still ringing. "You gonna answer that?" his big sister Shelly asked. Chris shook his head. "Why not? It's your boss, isn't' it?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, I thought you were supposed to be reachable. You don't want to go back home and not have a job, do you?"

"You let me worry about me, Michelle."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Chris turned to walk toward the kitchen. "Did you go see him today?" Shelly asked.

"He was so heavily medicated he didn't even know I was in the room." Shelly followed her younger brother into the kitchen. "He'll be that way for another day or so and then they'll take the dosage down." Chris opened the refrigerator. "I'm hungry. You want a sandwich or something?" Shelly nodded. Chris pulled out the cold cuts and shut the fridge. He retrieved the bread from the bread box. "I wish this could have been different, sis."

"So do I. I wish I had the courage to do what you did."

"I love my brother and sometimes it means making decisions that no one wants to make. He'll be there for six weeks getting the best care." Chris laid the bread out on the counter. "Turkey or Ham?"

"Ham," Shelly replied. "You must have pulled a few strings to get him into a six week program."

"Yeah," Chris constructed two sandwiches and put them both on a plate. He put the meat and the bread away. He put the ham sandwich in front of Shelly and sat down. He took a bite, chewed and swallowed. "I'm not saying you and mom don't love him, Shell. I am just saying that I'm the only one who seems to recognize when he needs help."

"He's a grown man. He should know when he's supposed to take his meds."

"He's always needed the reminder, sis."

"I guess when he finally comes home you'll have to give us some training."

"Mom's in denial."

"So am I, if you want to know the truth. Look how long it took us to call you to tell you about it."

Chris took another bite of his sandwich. "I have to go home, tomorrow."

"After church?'

Chris shook his head. "It's a twelve hour drive."

"Promise me something, before you go."

"Anything."

"Talk to mom. She's angry at the situation, not you."

"I tried talking to her. She turned and walked out of the room. "

"You can't leave when neither of you are talking to each other."

"Shell, I've got to go back to work."

"Call Pride and tell him you need more time."

"He doesn't even know where I am. I'm sure he's figured it out by now, but I didn't ask his permission. I just left."

"You think you'll be in trouble when you get back?"

Chris nodded. "Probably so. I'll get a lecture about trusting him and not going off the grid."

"He knows about Cade and he'll understand."

"I didn't want to involve him. He's already done enough to try to help him. Cade just doesn't realize how much."

"He's a good friend."

"Yeah." Chris took another bite of his sandwich. "I thought you were hungry."

"I was. I am. I just wanted to spend some quality time with my baby brother."

"Well, don't waste a perfectly good sandwich."

"I won't." Shelly smiled. "You know Cade's lucky to have you. We all are."

"Now sis, don't get all sentimental on me. You know I don't like all that mushy stuff."

Shelly chuckled. "You've got mustard on your nose." She handed him a napkin. "You were always the messiest eater."

Chris wiped his face. "Where's mom?"

"Last I checked she was in her room. The door was shut."

Chris put his empty plate in the sink. "I'll attempt to talk to her again, sis, but I doubt she'll talk to me."

"At least try."

"I will," Chris said, walking to the door of the kitchen. "Eat."

Chris walked out of the kitchen door, through the great room and up the stairs. He turned toward the left when he reached the top. He knocked on his mom's bedroom door. "Who is it?"came a muffled voice from inside.

"It's me, mom." Chris said, opening the door slightly. "Can we talk?" His mom nodded. Chris entered the room and shut the door. "I know you're upset with me right now, but Shell didn't want me to leave until we talked."

Chris sat down on the edge of the bed. His mom cupped his face with her hands. "My dear sweet baby boy, you've taken on too much of a burden with Cade. It's all my fault."

"No, mom. It's not."

"I recognized the signs and didn't do anything. I made it worse. I should have done something and you would have never had to come home."

"Mom, you know I don't mind coming home. I love being here with you and Shell."

"But you have such an important job."

"Family comes first. That's Pride's policy. Always has been."

"Shelly says you've been avoiding phone calls from work."

"Shelly worries too much. I want to make sure you and I are okay before I leave in the morning. Are we?"

His mom nodded. "I know that you did what you had to do. It was a hard choice to make."

"And when he comes home, I'll be here to make sure he gets settled. That's a promise."

"And I promise that I won't wait two days to call you if he needs help again."

"Mom, I know it takes courage, but you and Shell may have to make decisions for Cade in the future. I can't always be here."

She nodded. "I know."

"I'll help you to learn about his meds and when he needs them. I'll help you learn the signs of a problem. What he's going to need is someone who can support him but make choices for him that he may not like."

"That's why I called you. I knew he'd trust you."

"He needs to learn to trust someone other than me."

Kay kissed her son on the cheek. "Christopher, you are an amazing brother to both Cade and Shelly. I love you, son."

"I love you too, mom."

"You want me to help you pack. I know you have a long drive."

"I can handle it. Are we okay?"

"Yes."

Chris rose from the bed and walked to the door. "Maybe the three of us can go see him this afternoon. He may not be awake but at least it will give you peace of mind that he's okay."

"I'd like that. Did you eat?"

"Yes. I fixed a sandwich for Shelly and for me. I have to go pack." Chris opened the door and went down the hall. He felt his pocket buzz again. He pulled the phone out and looked at the screen and then threw the phone on his bed. "Not now, King," He said out loud. He pulled his duffel bag from the closet and began putting his clothes in. He retrieved his toiletries from his bathroom and put them in a Ziploc bag and threw them in the duffel. The phone buzzed again. Chris picked it up and answered it. "You don't give up, do you?"

"I was beginning to think the same thing about you. Where are you?"

"Home."

"No, you're not. I'm sitting outside your house. You aren't here."

"No, home King. Alabama."

"Oh. Is everything okay?"

"It is now. I'll be leaving early tomorrow morning."

"Good. When you get into town, go straight to the office."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"I do. It'll be easier for us to talk, just the two of us. Monday morning Brody and Percy will be here and it will be less private."

"It may be late."

"I'll be there and we can talk all night if you need to."

"Not sure I'm going to feel much like talking."

"You don't have to. I'm going to have enough to say for the both of us."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey, I'm glad you're okay."

"Sorry I've been ignoring your calls. I just had a lot to deal with."

"We'll talk about it when you get here," Pride replied. "Bye, Christopher."

Chris hung up the phone. "Damn!"

"You're in trouble, aren't you?" Shelly was leaning on the door frame of her brother's room.

"Anyone ever tell you that eves' dropping on someone else's conversation is not polite?"

"Yeah, I seem to recall a lesson or two about that in my childhood," Shelly replied. "How much trouble are you in?"

"I don't know yet, and it's really none of your business, anyway."

"Mom said we're going to visit Cade."

"Yeah, I think she needs to go."

"I do too, but are you sure she can handle it?"

"I told her that he may not even be aware that we are there with him. It's reality, sis and it's not right to keep it from her."

"I agree. She said you and she had a long talk."

"Yeah and we're okay. She's okay with me going home."

"I wish you didn't live so damn far away. Can't you get a transfer closer to home?"

"You ask me that every time I'm here, and the answer is always the same. No. I'm settled where I am and I don't want to leave."

"You have to admit you worry about us."

"I do worry about you and mom and Cade, but that's not going to change my mind."

"Mom always called you the 'independent' one. She knew some day you'd spread your wings and fly. I guess none of us realized how far."

"Dad, when he was around, was always telling me to grow up and do something. I dreamt of being a cop all my life. I finally get there and he tries to get me to come home. Now you are, too. Why can't you just let me live my life?"

"Wait a minute, little brother. I am not trying to run your life for you. I'm just thinking about mom and Cade."

"Sure you are, sis. Always thinking about others. That's what you've always been so damn good at. "

"Christopher James LaSalle."

Chris looked straight at his sister at the sound of his full name. "You aren't mom, Shell."

"No, but she would have said the same thing about your language."

"So you're allowed to use it but I'm not. Last I checked we are both adults."

Shelly nodded. "I'm sorry."

Chris zipped his duffel bag shut. "Maybe I should just go now."

"No. Don't. Mom really wants to see Cade and so do I."

Chris picked up the duffel bag and put it on the chair next to the door. "All right. Let's go. I think visiting hours are over at five."

The alarm buzzed and Chris sat up in his bed. "Six o'clock already. I feel like I just got to sleep." He got up, dressed and shaved and put the last few things in his duffel bag. He sat down on the bed to tie his shoes. There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

The door opened and his mom stood on the other side. "I heard your alarm go off. Are you all ready to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm just making sure I have everything."

"You want me to cook you some breakfast?"

"I gotta get on the road, mom. I would like some coffee."

"It's already made. I have a cup that I can send home with you."

Chris threw his duffel bag across his shoulder and followed his mom down the stairs into the kitchen. He seemed surprised that his sister was awake, too. "What? You didn't think I could let you get away without saying goodbye, did you little brother."

Chris shook his head. "No, sis. I just didn't expect you to wake up this early. That's why we said goodbye last night."

"Well, we can say it again."

Kay handed Chris a covered mug. "It will keep it from spilling in the car."

"Thanks," Chris said, accepting the hot cup. "I'll stop on the way and get something to eat. I really need to go."

"Call us when you get home so we know you're safe," Kay said. "You have to go to work?"

Chris eyed his sister. "Yes, but not for long. I'll call when I get done. Don't worry about me."

"It's not you I worry about. It's all the other drivers who aren't as safe as you."

"Mom."

She reached up and kissed his cheek. "A mom has every right to be worried about her babies. Especially when they live so far away."

"Bye, Shell."

"Bye, little brother. Talk to you soon."

Chris headed back through the great room to the front door. His mom and sister stayed on the porch while he went to his truck. He opened the door and threw the duffel bag in the back. "Bye." He waved and backed the truck up and turned around.

The traffic was light and uneventful. Chris was able to set his cruise control at an even seventy-eight miles per hour and make the trip in just under eleven hours. He tried to slow down a bit when he realized he was going to be so much earlier than he'd planned, trying to delay the inevitable talk with his boss. He pulled up to the NCIS garage around five forty-five. He sat for about five minutes, gathering his thoughts and then exited his vehicle. He walked through the open bay door. "King!"

"In the kitchen, Christopher!" Chris walked toward the kitchen. "You either made good time or left earlier than you intended to."

"A little of both. Not too many people on the road on Sunday."

Pride lifted the lid off the skillet. "You hungry?"

"I could eat. What did you make?"

"Shrimp jambalaya and rice." Pride grabbed a plate and scooped a large portion on it and placed it on the bar in front of Chris. He made a second plate for himself and put the lid back on the skillet. "Sit down. Eat."

Chris sat down and began enjoying his dinner. "This is one of my favorites, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

"You made it on purpose?"

Pride nodded. "Kind of a peace offering."

"Before you lay the hammer down on me for disappearing for three days?"

Pride nodded again. "We can talk about that later. Enjoy your dinner. You want a beer?"

Chris shook his head. "I gotta drive home, remember?"

"How about some water? Coffee?'

"Coffee will do."

Pride got up and poured two cups of coffee. "Don't worry, I made it just before you came in."

Chris nodded. "Thanks." He took a sip. "This sure is good."

"Glad you like it."

The two men ate in silence. Pride cleaned up the leftovers and Chris helped with the dishes. When everything was finished Pride sat down at the kitchen table. He gestured for Chris to sit across from him. "I really messed up, didn't I?"

Pride nodded. "But I'm sure you had good reason."

"Cade got sick. Real sick."

"So it wasn't you, like your text read?"

Chris shook his head. "No, sir. It was Cade."

"Cause the text I got said 'I'm sick. I'm going home. Won't be back til Monday.' That was after you got up and walked out of the squad and disappeared for two hours."

"My sister called to tell me about Cade. I had to get him some help. He's my brother."

"I understand that, Christopher but you can't just go off and not tell anyone where you're going. I thought you trusted me enough not to lie to me."

"I do."

"Obviously you didn't this time."

"I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I ignored your phone calls. I just had to deal with it in my own way."

"You're sorry. That's all you have to say?"

"What else do you want me to say? I promise I won't do it anymore? I can't promise that, King. Family first. That's what you always say."

"What about this family? Me, Brody, Percy, Patton. Even Loretta and Sebastian were worried about you. Your family is there to help you. To support you."

"I didn't want to bring you all into this. It was my problem."

"Cade's your family right?" Chris nodded. "So he's our family, too. I'm not saying we all had to go with you to take care of it, but leaving us all in the dark, Christopher? Not knowing if you were dead or alive?"

Chris got up from his chair. "So, what now? Am I suspended?"

"Sit down," Pride said. Chris sat again, folding his arms in front of him. "You're going to pout like a little kid?"

"No. I just want to know if I can come to work tomorrow."

"I'll expect you here on time, seven a.m."

Chris relaxed. "So, I'm not suspended?"

"No. Not this time. You will have to use vacation time for the last few days, though."

Chris nodded. "I expected that. Why are you going so easy on me?"

"Because I've been where you are. The hard decisions are left up to you. It's a burden you don't need to bare alone."

"King."

"I'm not finished yet." Chris nodded. "From now on, you tell me what's going on before you go riding off down the road to solve your family problems. I won't share any information with the team unless you ask me to. And mark my words, should there ever be a next time where you go off half-cocked and disappear, this conversation will be much different and end with a suspension. Do I make myself clear?"

Chris nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Now, get up and get your butt home so you can get some sleep."

Chris rose from his chair. "Yes, sir."

Pride rose from his chair and hugged his friend. "Glad you're safe, Christopher."


End file.
